Arrangement for passage control of mine vehicles

ABSTRACT

A method, system and access station for passage control of mine vehicles. Mine vehicles are transferred between an operation area and a manual area through one or more access stations between which there is an intermediate space, to which the mine vehicle to be transferred can be driven. When the mine vehicle is in the intermediate space, at least one access gate is closed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for passage control of an unmannedmine vehicle, the method comprising: limiting in a mine at least onepredefined operation area where one or more unmanned mine vehiclesoperate; and preventing unallowed access of the unmanned mine vehicle toa manual area limited outside the operation area.

The invention also relates to a passage control system of a mine, thesystem comprising: at least one operation area for at least one unmannedmine vehicle; at least one gate for preventing unallowed access of theunmanned mine vehicle to a manual area outside the operation area; andmeans for opening and closing the gates limiting free access of minevehicles.

The invention further relates to a passage station for mine vehicles,the passage station comprising at least one gate, which is arranged in amine between an operation area limited for unmanned mine vehicles and amanual area limited outside the operation area, and through whichpassage station the mine vehicle is arranged to be transferred from theoperation area to the manual area and vice versa.

Automatic and other unmanned mine vehicles have been provided for use inmodern mines, which vehicles can be controlled by remote control from acontrol room, for instance. The purpose is to improve the safety ofworkers and the working conditions as well as to increase productivity.When unmanned and automatic devices are used, safety factors must becarefully considered. Also, the law requires that safety systems, suchas passage control, are used in mine systems comprising such vehicles.Typically, unmanned mine vehicles have an isolated operation area, towhich outsiders or unauthorized vehicles cannot access, in order toeliminate the risk of collision. The operation area can be limited byarranging, for instance, booms or other similar boundaries in a mine. Inconnection with the boundaries there are sensors which monitor thecrossing of each boundary. Crossing of a boundary causes a warningsignal, which is arranged to stop the entire automatic mine system inthe operation area and the mine vehicles therein. Thus, whenever a minevehicle is brought to an operation area or removed therefrom, the entiresystem and production will stop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved method,system and passage station for passage control of mine vehicles.

The method of the invention is characterized by transferring the minevehicle from the operation area to the manual area or vice versa throughat least one passage station, the passage station being arranged betweenthe operation area and the manual area; performing the transfer of themine vehicle in the passage station through a first access gate and asecond access gate and further through an intermediate space between theaccess gates; and, during the transfer of the mine vehicle, keeping atleast one access gate closed at a time.

The system of the invention is characterized in that the systemcomprises at least one passage station, which is arranged between theoperation area and the manual area and through which the mine vehicle isarranged to be transferred from the operation area to the manual areaand vice versa; that the passage station comprises two openable andclosable access gates arranged successively at a distance from eachother; that the first access gate is in the operation area side and thesecond access gate is in the manual area side; that there is anintermediate space between the first access gate and the second accessgate; and that the passage control system is arranged to control thepassage station so that when the mine vehicle is in the intermediatespace, at least one access gate is closed.

The passage station of the invention is characterized in that thepassage station comprises two openable and closable access gatesarranged successively at a distance from each other; that the firstaccess gate is in the operation area and the second access gate is inthe manual area; that between the first access gate and the secondaccess gate there is an intermediate space, to which the mine vehiclecan be driven through an access gate; and that the passage stationcomprises at least one control device, which is arranged to control thepassage station so that when the mine vehicle is in the intermediatespace, at least one access gate is closed.

The essential idea of the invention is that an unmanned mine vehicle istransferred from an operation area limited for it to a manual area via apassage station. The passage station comprises two successive accessgates, which can be opened and closed. Between the access gates there isan intermediate space, to which the mine vehicle to be transferred canbe driven. When the mine vehicle is driven to or from the intermediatespace, one access gate is open and the other is closed.

The invention provides the advantage that mine vehicles can be takensafely to and from a limited operation area formed for unmanned minevehicles without having to stop the operation of other mine vehicles inthe operation area. Due to the invention, mine vehicles which are in theoperation area can be taken to be serviced or repaired without stoppingthe operation of the system. Furthermore, new mine vehicles can bebrought to the operation area, if necessary, and unnecessary minevehicles can be removed without trouble.

The essential idea of an embodiment of the invention is that an unmannedmine vehicle is driven unmanned from an operation area to anintermediate space. The mine vehicle is switched off and switched tomanual mode. Thereafter, a driver drives the mine vehicle manually fromthe intermediate space to the manual area. When the mine vehicle istransferred from the manual area to the operation area, the transferfrom the manual area to the intermediate space is carried out manually.After this, the driver leaves the intermediate space and the minevehicle is driven unmanned from the intermediate space to the operationarea.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will be described in greater detail in the attacheddrawings, in which

FIG. 1 schematically shows a section of a mine provided with a passagecontrol system of the invention,

FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view of a mine vehicle,

FIG. 3 schematically shows a gate of a passage station of the inventionfrom the direction of travel of the mine vehicle,

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 schematically show top views illustrating theoperational principle of a passage station of the invention, and

FIG. 7 schematically shows a gate of the passage station from thedirection of travel of the mine vehicle.

For the sake of clarity, the figures show the invention in a simplifiedmanner. Like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a section of a mine. The mine comprises several minetunnels 1 where mine vehicles 2 can operate. By using of boundary gates3 a to 3 m, an operation area 4 can be limited in a mine, where minevehicles can be driven safely as unmanned. Mine vehicles operating inother sections of the mine are not allowed to access to this limitedoperation area 4. People do not have free access to the operation area 4either. The access to the operation area can be monitored by means of apassage control system 5. The passage control system 5 and a controlsystem 6 of mine vehicles can form a part of a control system 7 of theentire mine. The passage control system 5 comprises at least one accessstation 8 allowing mine vehicles 2 to be taken to and from the operationarea 4 without having to stop other mine vehicles 2 operating in theoperation area 4. The number of access stations 8 required depends, forinstance, on the size of the operation area 4 and the number of minevehicles 2 operating in the operation area 4. Seen in the direction oftravel of the mine vehicle, the passage station 8 comprises twosuccessive access gates, i.e. a first access gate 9 in the operationarea side 4 and a second access gate 11 in a manual area side 10. Thereis an intermediate space 12 between the first access gate 9 and thesecond access gate 11. The passage control system 5 of the mine controlsystem 7 can be arranged to control the operation of the access gates 9,11. The passage station 8 can also comprise a first detection point 13in the operation area 4 before the first access gate 9 and,correspondingly, a second detection point 14 in the intermediate space12 before the second access gate 11. The operation of the passagestation 8 is illustrated in more detail in the description of FIGS. 4,5, and 6.

As FIG. 1 shows, there can be a plurality of boundary gates 3 a to 3 m,which can be situated as desired in different sections of the mine.Gates 3 can be positioned in the mine in such a manner that the accessof unmanned mine vehicles to specific mine sections or mine tunnels 1can be prevented. In FIG. 1, for instance, a tunnel 1 a is isolated bymeans of gates 3 d and 3 j as a safety area, to which the unmanned minevehicles cannot access. Thus, the safety area 1 a does not belong to theoperation area 4. In the safety area 1 a, manual operations, such asservice, repair and measurement operations, can be carried out. Thepassage control system 5 can be arranged to open and close gates 3 a to3 m by remote control.

By utilizing gates 3 a to 3 m, it is also possible to provide a safetypath 17 from the passage station 8 to the safety area 1 a. Thus, manualmine vehicles 15 as well as the necessary people 16 can be transportedsafely to the safety area 1 a without having to stop the operation ofthe unmanned mine vehicles 2 in the operation area 4. A safety path 17is illustrated by a dot-and-dash line in FIG. 1. In this case, the gates3 g, 3 h, 3 i, 3 k and 3 m are closed and the gate 3 j is open.

FIG. 2 shows a mine vehicle 2, which can be driven unmanned in theoperation area 4 of the mine. In this case, the mine vehicle 2 is aloading vehicle, but it can also be another vehicle used in the mine,such as a measuring vehicle, a rock drilling rig, a charging vehicle ora transport vehicle. The mine vehicle 2 comprises a control unit 18 forcontrolling the mine vehicle 2. Furthermore, the mine vehicle 2 cancomprise navigation equipment 19 for determining the position and thedirection. The mine vehicle 2 can also comprise a data transmission unit20 for establishing a data transmission connection 21 between thecontrol unit 18 of the mine vehicle 2 and at least one external controlunit 22. Thus, control commands can be transmitted, for instance, from acontrol room 23 to the mine vehicle. When, for example, electricallydriven mine vehicles are used, the data transmission connection 21 canbe wired. The data transmission connection can also be wireless, e.g. asystem based on radio frequency. Furthermore, it is possible that anoperator controls the mine vehicle 2 by remote control from an externalcontrol room 23, for instance. Control commands are transmitted to themine vehicle by using a data transmission connection 21. Forteleoperation, the operator can be provided with image informationprovided by a camera 24 arranged in the mine vehicle, and also withother information for controlling and steering a mine vehicle 2,provided by laser scanners 25, sensors and the like, for instance. Themine vehicle 2 can also be driven automatically in the mine along apredefined route, e.g. from a loading site to a dumping site. This routecan be formed by teaching, for instance. Also, an electronic map of themine can be utilized in the automatic drive. Depending on the situationand the mine, the above control methods can be combined. As shown above,there are several alternative technologies and methods for positioningand controlling an unmanned mine vehicle 2 in a mine.

FIG. 3 is a great simplification of a gate structure, which can be usedas an access gate 9, 11 of a passage station 8. Such a gate can also beapplied as a boundary gate 3 a to 3 m for limiting an operation area 4.The construction of the gate 9 can be such that it forms a physicalbarrier to mine vehicles 2. The gate 9 can also be dimensioned in such amanner that it can stop the mine vehicle 2 if the mine vehicle 2 drivesagainst the gate 9 for some reason. In its simplest, the gate is a boomwhose one end comprises hinges for opening and closing it. Furthermore,the structure of the gate 9 can be such that people cannot pass by thegate 9 at all, or at least without using considerable effort, unlessthey open it. At the gate 9 there is a moving apparatus 26, by which thegate 9 can be opened and closed. The moving apparatus 26 can becontrolled by a control device of the passage control system 5.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate the structure and operational principle of apassage station 8 of the invention. The passage station 8 comprises twoopenable and closable access gates 9, 11, which are arrangedsuccessively at a predefined distance from each other. The first accessgate 9 is in the operation area 4 limited for unmanned and automaticmine vehicles 2 and the second access gate 11 is in the manual area 10intended for manual driving. Between the access gates 9, 11 there is anintermediate space 12, which is dimensioned in such a manner that themine vehicles 2 to be used in the operation area 4 fit in theintermediate space 12 when the access gates 9, 11 are closed. The accessgates 9 and 11 are kept closed and they are opened only when minevehicles 2 need to be transferred between the operation area side 4 andthe manual area side 10. Thus, the passage station 8 also limits theoperation area 4. Further, the operation of the access gates 9 and 11 isarranged in such a manner that only one gate can be open at a time. Onlywhen the mine system is out of operation, both access gates 9, 11 can besimultaneously open manually.

Next, the operation of the passage station 8 is described in a situationwhere an unmanned mine vehicle 2 needs to be removed from the operationarea in order to service it, for instance. The control system 6 givesthe mine vehicle 2 a control command to move to a defined access station8. After receiving the control command, the mine vehicle 2 finishes itscurrent operation or, depending on the situation, interrupts itsoperation and moves towards the passage station 8. It can be transferredto the passage station 8 by remote control along a pre-taught route, forinstance. As the mine vehicle 2 approaches the passage station 8, thepassage control system 5 can open the first access gate 9. In front ofthe first access gate 9 there is at least one first detection point 13,e.g. a photocell, the purpose of which is to detect the mine vehicle 2when it approaches the passage station 8. If problems arise during themine vehicle 2 approach or while opening the access gate 9, thedetection point 13 detects the approaching mine vehicle 2 and can send amessage to the control system 6. If necessary, the control system 6 canperform an emergency stop of the mine vehicle 2 before collision. Theremay be a similar, second detection point 14 in front of the secondaccess gate 11. As FIG. 5 shows, the mine vehicle 2 can be drivenunmanned to the intermediate space 12 of the passage station 8. Afterthis, the first access gate 9 is closed. Thereafter, the operation ofthe mine vehicle 2 is switched off. The second access gate 11 of thepassage station 8 can now be opened and a driver 16 can get on the minevehicle 2 in the intermediate space 12 and switch it to manual mode anddrive the mine vehicle 2 manually away from the passage station 8 to themanual area 10. After this, the second access gate 11 can be closed. Thesecond access gate 11 can be used manually by control means of thepassage control system 5.

When the mine vehicle 2 is transferred from the manual area 10 to theoperation area 4, the above steps take place in reverse order. Thesecond access gate 11 is opened manually, after which the driver 16drives the mine vehicle 2 manually to the intermediate space 12. Thedriver 16 leaves the intermediate space, closes the second access gate11 and switches the control system 6 and the passage control system 5 toautomatic mode. Thereafter, the mine vehicle 2 makes the necessaryarrangements for automatic drive. The passage control system 5 opens thefirst access gate 9, whereafter the mine vehicle 2 leaves the passagestation and proceeds towards a defined work site. Finally, the firstaccess gate 9 is closed.

The passage control system 5 can also comprise other safety devices andarrangements. Various cameras and sensors can be used for ensuring thatthere are no people 16 in the intermediate space 16 when the system isswitched to automatic mode. Furthermore, people 16 working in thepassage station 8 can be required to indicate their position before thesystem is switched off from the manual drive.

FIG. 7 shows another feasible way of controlling the access of a minevehicle. Here the passage station is provided with a substantiallyhorizontal boom 27, which is located higher than the top section of minevehicles 2. Thus, the boom 27 acts as an access gate 9, 11. Each minevehicle 2 is also provided with at least one mast 28. The mast 28 isdimensioned so that it reaches the boom 27 in the passage station 8. Inconnection with the mast 28 there is at least one sensor 29, which isarranged to switch off the mine vehicle 2 and/or give a signal to thecontrol system and the passage control system 5 when the mast 28 hitsthe boom 27. Another alternative is that one or more sensors 29 arearranged in connection with the boom 27 and the information istransmitted from the sensor 29 to the control system and the passagecontrol system 5. The arrangement of FIG. 7 can be applied in additionto other gate constructions or as an alternative thereto.

In some cases, the access gate 9 and 11 can also comprise a plurality ofgate sections, which can be arranged to open and close by means of aseparate moving apparatus 26 and by using their support elements.

The drawings and the related description are only intended to illustratethe idea of the invention. In its details, the invention may be variedwithin the scope of the invention.

1. A method for passage control of an unmanned mine vehicle, the methodcomprising: limiting in a mine at least one predefined operation areawhere one or more unmanned mine vehicles operate; preventing unallowedaccess of the unmanned mine vehicle to a manual area limited outside theoperation area, transferring the mine vehicle from the operation area tothe manual area or vice versa through at least one access station, thepassage station being arranged between the operation area and the manualarea; performing the transfer of the mine vehicle in the passage stationthrough a first access gate and a second access gate and further throughan intermediate space between the access gates; and, during the transferof the mine vehicle, keeping at least one access gate, closed at a time.2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising continuing the operationsof the mine vehicles in the operation area uninterruptedly regardless oftransfers of unmanned mine vehicles in the passage station.
 3. A methodas claimed in claim 1, comprising driving the mine vehicle unmanned fromthe operation area to the intermediate space and, correspondingly, fromthe intermediate space to the operation area, and driving the minevehicle manned from the intermediate space to the manual area and,correspondingly, from the manual area to the intermediate space.
 4. Amethod as claimed in claim 1, comprising detecting the approach of themine vehicle to the passage station by means of at least one detectionpoint.
 5. A passage control system of a mine, the system comprising: atleast one operation area for at least one unmanned mine vehicle; atleast one gate for preventing unallowed access of the unmanned minevehicle to a manual area outside the operation area; means for openingand closing the gates limiting free access of mine vehicles at least oneaccess station, which is arranged between the operation area and themanual area and through which the mine vehicle is arranged to betransferred from the operation area to the manual area and vice versa;and wherein the passage station comprises two openable and closableaccess gates arranged successively at a distance from each other; thefirst access gate is in the operation area side and the second accessgate is in the manual area side; there is an intermediate space betweenthe first access gate and the second access gate; and the passagecontrol system is arranged to control the passage station so that whenthe mine vehicle is in the intermediate space, at least one access gateis closed.
 6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the operation ofthe passage station is independent of the mine vehicles operating in theoperation area.
 7. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the minevehicle is arranged to be transferred unmanned from the operation areato the intermediate space and, correspondingly, from the intermediatespace to the operation area, and the mine vehicle is arranged to betransferred manned from the intermediate space to the manual area and,correspondingly, from the manual area to the intermediate space.
 8. Asystem as claimed in claim 5, the system comprises at least onedetection point, which is arranged to detect the mine vehicleapproaching the access gate from the operation area.
 9. A passagestation for mine vehicles, the passage station comprising at least onegate, which is arranged in a mine between an operation area limited forunmanned mine vehicles and a manual area limited outside the operationarea, and through which access station the mine vehicle is arranged tobe transferred from the operation area to the manual area and viceversa, and wherein the passage station comprises two openable andclosable access gates arranged successively at a distance from eachother; the first access gate is in the operation area side and thesecond access gate is in the manual area side; between the first accessgate and the second access gate there is an intermediate space, to whichthe mine vehicle can be driven through an access gate; and the passagestation comprises at least one control device, which is arranged tocontrol the passage station so that when the mine vehicle is in theintermediate space, at least one access gate is closed.